Lessons learned designing an alternative CHI for en route air traffic control
Summary
MIT Lincoln Laboratory is supporting the FAA-sponsored effort to design an operationally suitable Computer Human Interface (CHI) for the recently upgraded En Route Air Traffic Control Centers. All centers will soon receive new control consoles with state-of-the-art 20 square (2K by 2K resolution) color displays (currently operating in Seattle as of January 1999). The future CHI is being modeled on Eurocontrol's Operational Display and Input Development (ODID) CHI, as requested by active controllers in the US. The ODID-like CHI, with its minimal information display and color coded guidance, provides increased efficiency and productivity through employment of a modern graphical user interface. Lessons learned during the on-going design process, including research of look and feel issues in conjunction with data analysis from controller-in-the-loop testing of a prototype ODID-like CHI will be discussed. The Laboratory plans to model the alternative ODID-like CHI on the best of the European ODID, Denmark Sweden Interface (DSI) and EATCHIP CHI features, while cognizant of the FAA?s DSR capabilities and limitations to support an improved user interface. Human factors issues need resolution to provide a consistent look and feel across the Free Flight Phase 1 products and platforms, the Center TRACON Automation System (CTAS) and the User Request Evaluation Tool (URET). MIT Lincoln Laboratory has built a CHI Requirements Engineering Model (CREM) to support controller-in-the-loop testing of the ODID-like CHI, validate CHI requirements and determine applicable standards for the design of an integrated CHI. The CREM provides a means to assess various CHI alternatives and the capability to iterate options with controller teams to address user concerns. Lessons learned from the ODID-like CHI specification process will also be shared.